Rocko's Modern Life/Similar Shows
Before, during or after Rocko's Modern Life's lifespan, other animated television shows sprang up featuring characters having going through crazy situations. The show's format were similar but with obvious differences in presentation and style. The Amazing World of Gumball The Amazing World of Gumball is a British/American animated children's television series created by Ben Bocquelet for Cartoon Network. Produced primarily by Cartoon Network Development Studio Europe, the series first aired on May 3, 2011. The Angry Beavers The Angry Beavers is an American animated television series created by Mitch Schauer for the Nickelodeon channel. The series revolves around Dagget and Norbert Beaver, two young beaver brothers who have left their home to become bachelors in the forest near the fictional Wayouttatown, Oregon. The show premiered in the United States on April 19, 1997. The show started airing on the Nickelodeon Canada channel when it launched on November 2, 2009. The series also aired on The '90s Are All That block on TeenNick in the US on October 7, 2011 as part of the UPick with Stick line-up. The series was also up for a UPick with Stick showdown on The '90s Are All That for the weekend on February 3, 2012, but lost to Rocko's Modern Life and did not air. The series was added to the Sunday line-up on The '90s Are All That on TeenNick, and aired from February 10, 2013, to March 3, 2013. The series returned to The '90s Are All That on TeenNick on March 25, 2013, but has since left the line-up again. The series is also currently being released on DVD. Beavis and Butt-head Beavis and Butt-head is an American adult animated series created and designed by Mike Judge. The series originated from "Frog Baseball", a 1992 short film by Judge originally aired on Liquid Television. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept. The Beavis and Butt-head television show first ran from March 8, 1993 to November 8, 1997. It was revived in 2011 and new episodes began airing on MTV from October 27, 2011 to December 9, 2011. Later, reruns aired on other Viacom properties, including MTV2, Comedy Central and UPN. In 1996, the series was adapted into the animated feature film Beavis and Butt-head Do America. Brandy & Mr. Whiskers Brandy & Mr. Whiskers is an American animated television series about a pampered yet spunky dog and a hyperactive rabbit who get stuck in the Amazon Rainforest together. The show aired from August 21, 2004 to August 25, 2006. It was televised in the United States by Disney Channel. Camp Lazlo Camp Lazlo is an American animated TV series created by Joe Murray (creator of Rocko's Modern Life). The series was released on July 8, 2005, in the United States and was released on November 1, 2005 in the United Kingdom. The show features a Boy Scout-like summer camp with an anthropomorphic animal characters, a "retro" type of humor and silliness akin to Murray's previous series, Rocko's Modern Life, which aired on Nickelodeon, a decade earlier, and cultural references. The series ended its' two-and-a-half-year run on Cartoon Network on March 27, 2008, with the series' finale, "Lumpus' Last Stand" after 5 seasons and 61 episodes. The series returned to Cartoon Network on October 2012 in reruns on the revived block, Cartoon Planet. Starting January 2014, it began running with independent airtime on the network's sister channel, Boomerang. The show's theme song is sung to the tune of Bingo. CatDog CatDog is an American animated television series created for Nickelodeon by Peter Hannan. The series depicts the life of conjoined brothers, with one half being a cat and the other a dog. Nickelodeon produced the series from Burbank, California. The first episode premiered on April 4, 1998 (following the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards), before the show officially premiered in October. The episode "Fetch" was also shown in theaters with The Rugrats Movie. Toward the end of the series run, a made-for-TV film was released, titled CatDog: The Great Parent Mystery. Reruns were played on Nicktoons until 2011 and later aired on TeenNick as part of The '90s Are All That block. The series is produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and Peter Hannan Productions and has been released on DVD. Catscratch Catscratch is an American television series created by Doug TenNapel. It was aired on both Nickelodeon and Nicktoons in 2005. It was also shown on Nickelodeon UK / Ireland in 2006. It is a lighthearted adaption of TenNapel's graphic novel, Gear, which is also the name of the cats' monster truck. The series featured music composed by longtime TenNapel collaborator, Terry Scott Taylor. Catscratch's first DVD appearance was on Nick Picks Volume 3, which came out February 7, 2006 (though DVD contained only "Bringin' Down the Mouse"). Clarence Clarence is an American animated television series created by Skyler Page for Cartoon Network. The series revolves around a young boy named Clarence, who is optimistic about everything, and his friends Jeff and Sumo. Page, a former storyboard artist for Adventure Time and storyboard revisionist for Secret Mountain Fort Awesome, developed the series at Cartoon Network Studios in 2012 as part of their animated short development initiative. The series marks the fourth graduate of the CalArts to receive a show on the network. Series writer Spencer Rothbell elaborated on Clarence's tone and purpose, stating "It's all about empowering kids and having fun." Cartoon Network has commissioned twelve 15-minute episodes, with the pilot airing after the 2014 Hall of Game Awards show on February 17, 2014. The series premiere was seen by aproximately 2.3 million viewers, ranking first in its 7 p.m. time slot among all cable and broadcast television networks for kids and boys. It has received positive critical reception, and its pilot has nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy Award. Cow and Chicken Cow and Chicken is an American animated comedy television series created by David Feiss for Cartoon Network. The series follows the surreal adventures of a cow, named Cow, and her chicken brother, named Chicken. They are often antagonized by "The Red Guy", who poses as various characters to scam them. Late into the series' run, the characters I.M. Weasel and I.R. Baboon, who were part of the series' recurring segment, I Am Weasel, were given their own half-hour series of the same name. Like Dexter's Laboratory and some other Cartoon Network series from the 1990's, the original pilot appeared as an episode of the animated shorts showcase project What a Cartoon!, the branchild of Fred Seibert, then-president of Hanna-Barbera. The Cow and Chicken series first broadcast on Cartoon Network from July 15, 1997 to July 24, 1999, with reruns airing prominently on the network until April 2006. Reruns are played on Boomerang, which are rated TV-Y7. The series was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1996 and 1998. Dave the Barbarian Dave the Barbarian is an American animated television series created by Doug Langdale, co-creator of Project G.e.e.K.e.R., and creator of The Weekenders and Savage Steve Holland, co-creator of "Eek! the Cat", and "The Terrible Thunderlizards", that premiered on January 23, 2004. The show follows a barbarian named Dave, his sisters, uncle, talking sword, and pet dragon on their daily adventures. The show is a Disney Channel Original Series. Ed, Edd n Eddy Ed, Edd n Eddy is a Canadian/American animated comedy television series created by Danny Antonucci and produced by Canada-based A.K.A. Cartoon. It premiered on Cartoon Network on January 4, 1999. The series was designed to resemble classic cartoons from the 1940s to 1970s, and revolves around three adolescent boys, Ed (voiced by Matt Hill), Edd "Double D" (voiced by Samuel Vincent), and Eddy (voiced by Tony Sampson), collectively known as "the Eds", who live in a suburban cul-de-sac. Unofficially led by Eddy, the Eds constantly invent schemes to make money from their peers to purchase their favorite confectionery, jawbreakers. Their plans usually fail though, leaving them in various predicaments. Adult cartoonist Antonucci was dared to create a children's cartoon; while designing a commercial, he conceived Ed, Edd n Eddy, and approached to Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network with the series, but both channels demanded creative control, to which Antonucci did not agree. A deal with ultimately made for Cartoon Network to commission Ed, Edd n Eddy, after they agreed to let Antonucci have control of the show. During the show's run, several shorts and series were produced in addition to the regular television series. Two books, as well as several comic books and video games, either based on the series or featuring the series' characters have also been produced. The series' TV movie final, Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show aired on November 8, 2009, officially ended the series. Ed, Edd n Eddy received generally positive reviews from critics and became one of Cartoon Network's most successful original series. It won a Reuben Award, two Leo Awards and a SOCAN Award, and was also nominated for another four Leo Awards, an Annie Award and two Kids' Choice Awards. The show attracted an audience of 31 million households, was broadcast in 120 countries, and proved to be popular among not only children, but teenagers and adults as well. With a 10-year run, Ed, Edd n Eddy remains the longest-running original Cartoon Network series and Canadian-made animated series to date, and is one of the longest-running United States animated series. Fish Hooks Fish Hooks is an American animated television series created by Noah Z. Jones. Twenty-one episodes were ordered for the first season. It premiered on September 24, 2010. An 11-minute preview was shown on September 3, 2010, following the Disney Channel Original Movie, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. It also premiered on ABC Family on January 15, 2011, at 7/6c. The stars of Fish Hooks are former That's So Raven and Cory in the House star Kyle Massey, Starstruck, Baby Daddy, and Jonas L.A.'s Chelsea Kane, and Justin Rolaind. Fish Hooks is also one of Disney Channel Original Series currently in production (along with Phineas and Ferb, Gravity Falls, Mickey Mouse, Wander Over Yonder and Star and the Forces of Evil). A third season, as of 2013, is in production. On September 23, 2013, Tom Warburton announced that Season 3 will be the final season. Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (or simply Foster's for short) is an American animated television series created and produced by animator Craig McCracken. It first premiered on Cartoon Network on August 13, 2004, at 7:3:0pm E/P as a 90-minute television movie, which led to a series of half-hour episodes. The series aired on Cartoon Network and its affiliates worldwide. The shows finishes its run on May 3, 2009 with a total of six seasons and seventy-nine episodes. My Gym Partner's a Monkey My Gym Partner's a Monkey was an American animated television series created by Tim Cahill and Julie McNally-Cahill and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. It premiered on Cartoon Network on December 26, 2005, and on The WB Television Network on January 7, 2006. The story revolves around Adam Lyon, a human who, after a clerical error listed his surname as "Lion," is forced to transfer to Charles Darwin Middle School, a school for local anthropomorphic zoo animals, where he is partnered with Jake Spidermonkey in gym, with whom he quickly becomes best friends. The series aired 96 episodes, one special and a feature film during its run. The series ended its 4-season run on November 27, 2008. On April 27, 2012, the series returned to Cartoon Network to show reruns on the revived block, Cartoon Planet. Two DVD volumes have been released in 2007 and 2008. The first season was recently put on Netflix, along with other Cartoon Network shows, but it's in widescreen for unknown reasons. My Gym Partner's a Monkey was a ratings success for Cartoon Network, gaining millions of viewers. The series was met with generally positive reviews from critics. It was nominated for four Annie Awards and won an Emmy Award. Regular Show Regular Show is an American animated television series created by J.G. Quintel for Cartoon Network that premiered on September 3, 2010. The series revolves around the lives of two friends, a Blue Jay named Mordecai (Quintel) and a raccoon named Rigby (William Salyers)-both employed as groundskeepers at a local park. Their regular attempts to slack off usually lead to surreal, extreme, and often supernatural misadventures. During these misadventures, they interact with the show's other characters: Benson (Sam Marin), Pops (Marin), Muscle Man (Marin), Hi-Five Ghost (Quintel), Skips (Mark Hamill), and Margaret (Janie Haddad-Tompkins). Many of Regular Show's characters are loosely based on those developed for Quintel's student films at California Institute of the Arts: The Naive Man from Lolliland and 2 in the AM PM. Quintel pitched Regular Show for Cartoon Network's Cartoonstitute project, in which the network allowed young artists to create pilots with no notes, which would possibly be optioned as shows. The project was greenlit and it premiered on September 6, 2010. The show is inspired by some British television series and video games. Episodes are produced using storyboarding and hand-drawn animation, and each episodes take roughly nine months to create. Quintel recruited several independent comic book artists to draw the show's animated elements; their style matched closely Quintel's ideas for the series. The show's soundtrack comprises original music composed by Mark Mothersbaugh and licensed songs. Most episodes are about 11 minutes in duration; pairs of episodes are often telecast to fill a half-hour time slot. 116 episodes in four seasons of the series have been produced and broadcast, and a fifth season aired on September 2, 2013. Since its premiere, Regular Show has been nominated for awards, including two Annie Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards-one of which it won for the episode "Eggscellent" (season 3, episode 17). The Ren & Stimpy Show The Ren & Stimpy Show, often referred simply as Ren & Stimpy, is an American animated television series, created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi. The show premiered on Nickelodeon on August 11, 1991, on Nickelodeon as part of the Nicktoons block along with Rugrats and Doug. The series focuses on the titular characters: Ren Hoek, an emotionally unstable chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a good-natured, dimwitted cat. The show ran for five seasons on the network. The show has received critical acclaim and developed a cult following during and after its run, while some critics credit it along with The Simpsons for leading the way for satirical animated shows like Beavis and Butthead and South Park, and playing a significant role in television animation. Throughout its run, The Ren & Stimpy Show was controversial for its off-color humor, sexual innuendo, and violence which were rare for television animation around the time. This controversy contributed to the production staff's altercations with Nickelodeon's Standards and Practises departments. A spin-off for adult audiences, Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon", aired in 2003 on Spike, but was cancelled soon after its debut. Robotomy Robotomy is an American animated television series created by Michael Buckley and Joe Deasy, directed by Christy Karacas, voice directed by Michael Sinterniklaas, and produced by World Leaders Entertainement and Cartoon Network Studios. The series was developed after a long series of unaccepted ideas, and occasionally put in and out of production due to changing executives. It was officially announced on August 31, 2009, and premiered on October 25, 2010, on Cartoon Network. Robotomy was cancelled on January 24, 2011. It is Cartoon Network's shortest-running original series, as well as with the least number of episodes. Robotomy was officially removed from Cartoon Network's website on February 11, 2011. On January 11, 2013, the series returned to television in reruns, albeit in a minor role. Episodes of the series could be seen from time to time on the revived Cartoon Planet block. Sanjay and Craig Sanjay and Craig is an American animated television series produced by Nickelodeon. The show's creators are Jim Dirschberger, Andreas Trolf, and Jay Howell. Howell is also the character design on Bob's Burgers. Sanjay and Craig is being produced by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi, the creators of The Adventures of Pete & Pete, which aired in the 1990s. Nickelodeon has renewed the show for a second season, which will include new 20 episodes. The second season will began airing in 2014. The Simpsons The Simpsons is an American adult animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of middle class American lifestyle emphasized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. The show is set on a fictional town of Springfield and parodies American culture, society, television, and many aspects of the human condition. The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a solicitation for a series of animated shorts with the producer James L. Brooks. Groening created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after a members of his family, substituting Bart for his own name. The shorts became part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show and was an early hit for Fox, becoming the network's first series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season (1989-1990). Since its debut on December 17, 1989, the show has broadcast 541 episodes and the 25th season began on September 30, 2013. The Simpsons is the longest-running American sitcom, the longest-running American animated program, and in 2009 it surpassed Gunsmoke as the longest-running American primetime, scripted television series. The Simpsons Movie, a feature-length film, was released in theaters worldwide on July 26 and 27, 2007, and grossed over $527 million. The Simpsons is widely considered to be one of the greatest television series of all time. Time magazine's December 31, 1999, issue named it 20th century's best television series, and on January 14, 2000, the Simpson family was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 27 Primetime Emmy Awards, 30 Annie Awards and a Peabody Award. Homer's exclamatory catchphrase "D'oh!" has been adopted into the English language, while The Simpsons has influenced many adult-oriented animated sitcoms. Sitting Ducks Sitting Ducks is a children's animated television series based on the lithograph and the 1998 children's book, Sitting Ducks, created by Michael Bedard. Sitting Ducks first appeared in 2001 in Europe, later debuting in North America on Cartoon Network, in Australia on ABC and Nickelodeon, in Canada on YTV, in the United Kingdom on CITV, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Disney XD and in the Japanese version of Cartoon Network. The show lasting two seasons each comprising 13 episodes, with the last episode on July 5, 2003. Reruns of the show were aired on Qubo in 2007, and was later aired as part of its Qubo Night Owl block until June 30, 2012. Episodes are also currently available for viewing on Hulu and Netflix. SpongeBob SquarePants SpongeBob SquarePants (often referred simply to as SpongeBob) is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. The series chronicles the adventures and endeavors of the title character and his various friends in the fictional city of Bikini Bottom. The series' popularity has made it a media franchise, as well as Nickelodeon's network highest rated show, and the most distributed property of MTV Networks. The media franchise has generated $8 billion in merchandising revenue for Nickelodeon. Many of the ideas for the series originated and unpublished, educational book titled The Intertidal Zone, which Hillenburg created in 1984. He began developing SpongeBob SquarePants into a television series in 1996 upon the cancellation of Rocko's Modern Life, and turned to Tom Kenny, who had worked on the series, to voice the titular character. SpongeBob was originally to be named SpongeBoy, and the series was to be called SpongeBoy Ahoy!, but these were changed, as the name was already in use for a mop product. The pilot episode first aired on Nickelodeon on May 1, 1999, following the television airing of the 1999 Kids' Choice Awards. The series received worldwide critical acclaim upon its premiere and gained enormous popularity by its second season. A feature film, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, was released in theaters on November 19, 2004, and a sequel is currently in development, with a projected release date of February 13, 2015. On July 21, 2012, the series was renewed and aired its ninth season, beginning with the episode "Extreme Spots". Despite its widespread popularity, the series has been revolved in several public controversies, including one centered around speculation over SpongeBob's intended sexual orientation. The series has been nominated for 15 Emmy Awards, and won for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program in 2010. It has received several additional awards, including 16 Annie Award nominations (out of which it has won six times), and four BAFTA Children's Award nominations (out of which it has won twice). In 2011, a newly described species of mushroom, Spongiforma squarepantsii, was named after the cartoon's title character. Squirrel Boy Squirrel Boy is an American animated television series produced by Cartoon Network Studios. The series, created and executive-produced by Everett Peck, who also the creator of the more adult-humored Duckman, ran from May 27, 2006 until September 27, 2007 on Cartoon Network, with a total of 52 eleven-minute episodes. The series was in reruns until July 2008. The series temporarily returned to Cartoon Network's schedule in February 2009 and shortly left and has not been seen ever since then. It also aired on Cartoon Network Australia in Australia and Teletoon in Canada and also in some parts of Africa.